How social media can help you convert prospects into customers

Social media offers many other opportunities to convert the same prospect that didn’t initially buy from you. For example:

A YouTube video featured on your landing page allows the prospect to learn more about your product or service than any 30-second commercial or newly-trained customer service rep could ever offer.

A follow button for pages such as Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In, Google+ and Instagram is a way to capture a follower, dramatically increasing the likelihood of that prospect returning and buying in the future. The cost for acquisition is significantly reduced from that point.

Get a prospect to sign up for a weekly email or newsletter. This is one of the most powerful tools a marketer has to convert a highly-interested lead into a customer. Offering the prospect an opportunity to remain engaged through relevant email marketing nearly insures a customer in the future.

A share button gives prospects an opportunity to share offer/product/service information with their network of friends through social media.

By entering a contest or other promotion that has nothing to do with the current offer, the prospect “converts” instead of simply leaving your page and is now part of your future email marketing or social media posts.

Downloading a coupon or more information redeemable at a future date gives the prospect the flexibility to take advantage of an offer on their own time and keep them in control of the transaction.

All of these are non-transactional conversions that serve to build your brand, as these prospects are now in the sales funnel, even without purchasing anything from you.

John Garcia is managing partner and digital director of Baldrica Advertising and Marketing. He started working in the industry 25 years ago at a Fortune 500 advertising agency in New York City. Over time, he mastered the art of integrating TV, radio, print, billboard, cable, and direct mail with digital for maximum results. He spearheaded several digital initiatives during his seven-year tenure at The Palm Beach Post before moving to Baldrica.